(Eagle News) — The government has also approved the bids of the United States, South Korea and Japan to conduct research in the Philippine Rise.
” This hopefully puts to rest the issue that the current administration is favoring China (on) the issue of Benham Rise,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement on Thursday.
According to Roque, the latest development came from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Roque also noted that if Filipinos wanted to conduct research in the resource-rich continental shelf, they do not need to ask the government for consent.
He said this was because the area was “subject to our sovereign rights.”
“The Government of the Philippines does not need, therefore, to give permits to Filipinos in this regard,” Roque said.
Earlier, Roque said only China had qualified to conduct research in the Philippine Rise so far.
Several opposition lawmakers such as Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano criticized the government for what he said was its tendency to favor China over other countries.